Green PR is a sub-field of

public relations Public relations (PR) is the practice of managing and disseminating information from an individual or an organization (such as a business, government agency, or a nonprofit organization) to the public in order to influence their perception. Pu ...

that communicates an

organization An organization or organisation (English in the Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth English; American and British English spelling differences#-ise, -ize (-isation, -ization), see spelling differences) is an legal entity, entity—such as ...

corporate social responsibility Corporate social responsibility (CSR) or corporate social impact is a form of international private business industry self-regulation, self-regulation which aims to contribute to societal goals of a philanthropy, philanthropic, activist, or chari ...

environmentally friendly Environment friendly processes, or environmental-friendly processes (also referred to as eco-friendly, nature-friendly, and green), are sustainability and marketing terms referring to goods and services, laws, guidelines and policies that c ...

practices to the public. The goal is to produce increased

brand awareness Brand awareness is the extent to which customers are able to recall or recognize a brand under different conditions. Brand awareness is one of the two key components of brand knowledge, as defined by the associative network memory model. It plays ...

and improve the organization's

reputation The reputation or prestige of a social entity (a person, a social group, an organization, or a place) is an opinion about that entity – typically developed as a result of social evaluation on a set of criteria, such as behavior or performance. ...

Tactic Tactic(s) or Tactical may refer to: * Tactic (method), a conceptual action implemented as one or more specific tasks ** Military tactics, the disposition and maneuver of units on a particular sea or battlefield ** Chess tactics ** Political tacti ...

s include placing news articles, winning awards, communicating with environmental groups and distributing publications. The term is derived from the "

green movement Green politics, or ecopolitics, is a political ideology that aims to foster an ecologically sustainable society often, but not always, rooted in environmentalism, nonviolence, social justice and grassroots democracy. Wall 2010. p. 12-13. It ...

", an

ideology An ideology is a set of beliefs or values attributed to a person or group of persons, especially those held for reasons that are not purely about belief in certain knowledge, in which "practical elements are as prominent as theoretical ones". Form ...

which seeks to minimize the effect of human activity on the environment. In this sector of public relations, much of the work focuses on combatting the misinformation spread by

Big Oil Big Oil is a name sometimes used to describe the world's six or seven largest List of corporations by market capitalization#Publicly traded companies, publicly traded and investor-owned list of oil companies, oil and gas companies, also known ...

and natural gas companies. Many of these companies like, ExxonMobil and BP, have disseminated content that implies they’ve become the leaders in sustainable policy. Practitioners must educate and their publics and rebuild relationships that are mutually beneficial for the company and the planet.

Importance

Environmentalism Environmentalism is a broad philosophy, ideology, and social movement about supporting life, habitats, and surroundings. While environmentalism focuses more on the environmental and nature-related aspects of green ideology and politics, ecolog ...

has become increasingly popular among consumers and media. A nine-country survey found 85% of

consumer A consumer is a person or a group who intends to order, or use purchased goods, products, or services primarily for personal, social, family, household and similar needs, who is not directly related to entrepreneurial or business activities. ...

s around the world are willing to change their

consumption Consumption may refer to: * Eating *Resource consumption *Tuberculosis, an infectious disease, historically known as consumption * Consumer (food chain), receipt of energy by consuming other organisms * Consumption (economics), the purchasing of n ...

habits to make tomorrow’s world a better place, and over half (55%) would help a brand “promote” a product if a good cause were behind it. The study also found when choosing between two brands of same quality and price, social purpose affected consumers’ decision the most (41%), ahead of design and innovation (32%) and the loyalty to the brand (26%). According to

PR Week ''PRWeek'' is a trade magazine and news website for the public relations and wider communications industry. It is published by Haymarket Media Group. History ''PRWeek'' was originally launched as a private venture in 1984 and was acquired ...

The significance of corporate America embracing the green movement cannot be denied. Some still think it's a fad, but all signs point to the contrary - a sustained commitment to sustainability, either for economic efficiencies or reach out to a public whose goals and values are changing.

As a management tool, public relations practitioners have the ability to disseminate information and change perception and awareness. A role of this practice is to bolster organizations within their community, using trade tools like the press release and lobbyists to persuade legislative bodies to enact changes in policy that fortifies the goals of a socially responsible corporation. In principle, sustainability seeks to dismantle existing infrastructures and replace them with clean green technologies. In doing so, the spread of information and recalibration of traditional practice is vital for a successful campaign. Communication in this field is also underscored by the need to make decisions at the company level, as these practices are not often federally implemented. As far back as 2008, the majority of companies that were surveyed by the Economist Intelligence Unit cite corporate social responsibility as “a necessary cost of doing business” as well as a potential tactic that can create distinguishing marketability. Now that these issues cannot be ignored in the marketplace, companies must align their manufacturing, sourcing, and sales strategies to curry favor with a consumer base that continually grows more anxious about the state of the environment.

Importance

See also

References

Further reading